


Holly and Yew

by SnowMercury



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-02-07 13:30:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21458830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowMercury/pseuds/SnowMercury
Summary: What if Hollyleaf didn’t kill Ashfur?
Kudos: 24





	Holly and Yew

“I did think about killing him,” she said, “but it wasn’t something I considered long.” 

Rain hit outside, drumming the leaves and settling the light into the cooler colors. Jayfeather tilted his head to Hollyleaf, angling his ears to hear better. He didn’t speak; she would continue.

“That, in the end, would be a step too far against the warrior code. To even consider it….! And… My trespasses were already great. My own existence, our existence, is to spit in the very face of our ancestors.” She looks out the entrance to the den, the misty cold settling on her quivering whiskers, settling into her fur, her muscles, into her very bones with a chill just present enough to keep her cold. Her eyes are almost unfocused. “Maybe that’s my problem.”

Jayfeather sighs, touching his tail to her side for reassurance. “No, I don’t think it is. You’re stuck in the past, that’s your problem. Have you ever considered that StarClan is on our side in this? They knew enough about us before we were born to know we would have powers, why would our parentage be any different?” 

“Because it- it just is!” She snaps, fur bristling for a second. But the heat from her momentary snap of anger dies quickly, so fastly so that it has started to seep from her words by the time she’s finished saying them. She doesn’t look angry so much as a wet, soggy, downtrodden and depressed sewer rat, in the end. 

Jayfeather tries another approach. “What do you think would have happened, if you had killed Ashfur? Do you think you would be happier?” No response, besides Holly’s gaze dropping to the ground. “Living a life that’s based on a lie? Knowing that it’s a lie, and choosing to keep that from your clanmates, from all the clans? Lionblaze and I, I think we could’ve done it. But you! You’re much too morally upstanding for that. It would have eaten away at you, breaking the code like that.” 

He stands up, starting to pace. “No, think about it! Finding out that Squirrelflight wasn’t our original mom, that was devastating to you. You’ve changed, Hollyleaf, ever since you found out about that. You can’t see how a perfect warrior could ever have such a  _ broken ancestry _ , despite Firestar proving that wrong. Sure, Ashfur would’ve been gone- but with how he was parading through camp, lording the information over Mom’s head, really- I wouldn’t’ve missed him!” He snorts, grinning. “But you? It would’ve torn you apart.” 

The rain continues to drizzle outside, drip-drip-dropping into the den. Hollyleaf tucks her front paws under her chest, loafing, and stays silent. Jayfeather’s ears twitch in the silence, as if checking like radar to see if she’s still there. After a few moments, Hollyleaf closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, sighing. 

“...Yeah. You might be right.” 

——x——-x—x———x— x-xx—- —-x—- ——-x———x—x-xx——-x————-

_ “I have to go back! I have to change things- it can’t end like this, having left them like that! Please, StarClan- give me another chance, and I swear to you, you won’t regret it! I’ll make the right decision this time!”  _

_ A distraught voice calls out into the darkness of the night, interrupted by only itself wavering and shifting and changing. Out of the void, two sparkling stars appear, and then the rest of a cat’s form becomes slightly visible. They look as though they are made of sand, of millions of tiny stars moving quickly to create their body.  _

_ They look upon the cat who has pleaded and begged for their second chance, and they offer not even a formless smile. Only a tilt of the head, inclined towards the desperate figure.  _

_ “We may be amenable to such a second chance.” _

_ The stars are still glittering above in the night, and the moon itself is empty. They are quiet. _

——x——-x—x———x— x-xx—- —-x—- ——-x———x—x-xx——-x————-

  
  


“What kind of a life would that have been, knowing I’d broken the code personally. What kind of a life…..”


End file.
